Summary: Just as Judas betrayed Jesus because of his love for money so many people betray the Lord today for similar greedy reasons. Judas had special abilities to keep accounts of the apostles money as demonstrated by their agreement to allow him to be in charge

Solomon once wrote,"An unfaithful man is like a foot out of joint or a sore tooth." (Proverbs)

Many people do not realize how painful it is when they are not faithful to God or to those who count on them. Actually, unfaithfulness, at its worst, is displayed in the life of Judas. Let us look at some of the errors to avoid about betrayal from Judas:

1. Just as Judas betrayed Jesus because of his love for money so many people betray the Lord today for similar greedy reasons. Judas had special abilities to keep accounts of the apostles money as demonstrated by their agreement to allow him to be in charge of their finances. (John 13:29) His hunger for power, position and prestige distorted his perceptions of himself and the Lord. Ask the Lord to help you avoid betraying trust because of any dishonesty.

2. Judas’ business skills also made him think he could use his special talents for his own advantage at the expense of others. Judas deluded himself into thinking that perhaps his actions would provoke a crisis and cause Jesus to declare Himself as the Messiah and thereby set up his kingdom. He supposed that he could be the chief financial officer in Christ’s new kingdom. Ask the Lord to help you avoid falling into the trap of thinking too highly of yourself and thereby distorting your own perceptions.

3. Judas coveted an office of respect so much that he was willing to sell the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. At the root of covetousness is a sinister discontent with what the Lord has given us. Judas envied the Roman and Pharisees because of the authoritative positions. He longed to be given great honor when he walked down the streets of Jerusalem instead of being looked down upon as a lowly disciple. Ask the Lord to help you to avoid the sins of covetousness, envy and jealousy which can lead one to betray our closest friends, family and companions.

4. Judas’ desires for greatness led him down a road of self-destructive behavior. There are all kinds of self-destructive behavior that can lead people to betray their dearest friends. Some of these self-destructive behaviors include: erroneous assumptions, mis-beliefs, critical attitudes, selfishness, addictions, pride, lust, unteachableness, bitterness, hate, anger, jealousy, envy, self-pity, apathy, complacency, laziness, indifference, perfectionism, disobedience, greed, inflexibility, materialism, procrastination, profanity, slander, libel, fear, work-aholism, disrespect of authority, taking things too personally, being easily offended, sins of omissions, sins of wrong disposition, sins of faulty assumptions. Ask the Lord to help you remember that it is not what is on the outside of a person that defiles them, but what comes out of their heart. (Matt. 15:18-20)

5. Judas betrayed Christ because he refused to stay close to the Lord or the disciples. Judas failed to remain transparent, trusting and intimate in his fellowship with the Lord Jesus and the disciples. Whenever we choose to fight our battles alone we become tempted to find other friends and associates who can lead us to acts of betrayal. Paul wrote, "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who cal on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Tim. 2:22) Ask the Lord to help you stay in close fellowship with Christ and some local disciples so that you are not tempted to seek companions among the ungodly.

Just as Judas betrayed Jesus because of his love for money so many people betray the Lord today for similar greedy reasons. Judas had special abilities to keep accounts of the apostles money as demonstrated by their agreement to allow him to be in charge

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